what is that 'follow-me-home' headlight?

This is a discussion on what is that 'follow-me-home' headlight? within Technical Stuff, part of the Under the Hood category; Am I missing on something? I've an Accord 3.0 and a Scorpio GLx. Haeven't seen this feature in it. How ...

On a more serious note I recently realized that the Tatas have a low cost version (probably) of this in the Indicas (probably some other hatches also have this?!?). When you close the doors there is a delayed switch off of the cabin lights... This illuminates the place around the car for sometime. Anyhow compared to most other hatches the Indica cabin light is much bigger and stronger in intensity. A very handy thing. It helped me the other day when I had to visit a shop after 8.30 in the evening. The place was all dark and I had to get on a sidewalk and then walk upto the door. The illumination from the cabin lights actually helped.

A very simple (in electronics' terms) 12V DC Delayed Cut-off timer circuit will do this trick to even the humblest cars.

what this circuit will do is to conduct current to the headlamps and starts counting down to N seconds (how much ever it has been setup for). Once the countdown is over, the headlamps shutdown.

Adding an activator / deactivator rather than a standard feature will help too.

The only point is that you will be running the headlamps on your car's battery without the engine (hence the alternator) running, so the lower the period of cut-off the surer your next morning's startup will be you get me?

I dont know if this is available as a 'no-splice' series fitment in any shop here. Any hardcore electric shoppers... any idea? Delhi TBHP-ians??? Anything available there?

Am I missing on something? I've an Accord 3.0 and a Scorpio GLx. Haeven't seen this feature in it. How doe one activate that...

dunno about the old scorpio's but the new crde ones come with this feature.... there isnt anyway you can activate this feature....it just works! its very useful on the office scorpio crde slx that i drive.

A very simple (in electronics' terms) 12V DC Delayed Cut-off timer circuit will do this trick to even the humblest cars.

what this circuit will do is to conduct current to the headlamps and starts counting down to N seconds (how much ever it has been setup for). Once the countdown is over, the headlamps shutdown.

I dont know if this is available as a 'no-splice' series fitment in any shop here. Any hardcore electric shoppers... any idea? Delhi TBHP-ians??? Anything available there?

well there is something available here in delhi.its a delay timer for the cabin lights.it costs around rs.250 and it is connected to your cabin lights.it follows the same procedure as you mentioned above though the time cannot be set by the user.it is a predefined 5seconds from full luminosity to switch off.its pretty easy to connect.though,i didnt ask the shop owner whether it could be connected to the headlamps or not.will find out soon.

well there is something available here in delhi.its a delay timer for the cabin lights.it costs around rs.250 and it is connected to your cabin lights.it follows the same procedure as you mentioned above though the time cannot be set by the user.it is a predefined 5seconds from full luminosity to switch off.its pretty easy to connect.though,i didnt ask the shop owner whether it could be connected to the headlamps or not.will find out soon.

Thanks hellspawn!! pls do find out. but i doubt if it can be interchanged, due to the difference in wattage of lamps used between a cabin light and a headlamp.

Moreover full luminosity to switch off sounds like the electricity stored in a high-rated capacitor is allowed to discharge in a regulated manner.

It is a useful feature. If it's manufacture fitted utility appreciate it.
Instead of doing all those relay and wiring jobs etc. I prefer to have a torch on my key bunch itself to guide me home. now-a-days you get high-brightness LED lights which consume very less energy for better brightness and very compact in size.

I dont what hellspawn is talking about can be fitted to headlights as the power requirements for headlights and cabin lights is very very diferent.

what you are saying is true.but when i went to the car acessory shop again the owner told me that it can be fitted but would require "jugaad".
but he also mentioned the headlamps can fuse as the bulbs are not designed to be used as dimming lights.they are either off or on.to enable them to work as dimmers you have to incorporate certain resistors in the circuit.this he said would not be feasible as its not really reliable.so in the end he did not recommend it.